Auburn woman gets liver transplant after appeal for help

An Auburn woman whose need for a new liver prompted an appeal to the community for potential living donors has had successful transplant surgery, her family said.

Ann Scanlan’s story and her family’s request for help were the focus of an Ormie King Legends of Auburn column that was published Oct. 24. Scanlan discovered shortly after a family trip in 2013 that she had a damaged liver from autoimmune hepatitis. Last year, malignant tumors were discovered on her liver, and she underwent intense treatment that helped, but doctors advised that a liver transplant was the best option for a cure.

The doctors had recommended a living donor transplant, which allows people to have a portion of their liver removed and transplanted into the patient in need. None of Scanlan’s family members, however, had compatible livers, leading to the appeal via the Ormie King column.